Papers by Keyword: Quantitative Analysis

Abstract: Risk management is essential for the successful execution of public sector construction projects (PSCPs), especially in developing cities like Quetta, Pakistan. This research aimed to identify and rank the major risks affecting public sector construction projects in Quetta City using a quantitative survey approach. A total of 49 risk factors were identified through literature review and expert input, classified into ten major risk categories. Data were collected from 62 construction professionals and stakeholders through a structured questionnaire. It was analyzed using MS Excel and risks were ranked through Relative Importance Index (RII) method. The results show that political risks, market risks, financial risks, safety risks, and construction risks are the top five risk categories based on both their average RII values and the presence of their factors in the top 10 rankings. Considering risks with same RII as similar rank, the top five ranked individual risks that affect public sector construction projects success the most are political instability, fluctuation in material prices, security issues, lack of safety equipment, market competition, financial/payment delays, and corruption and bribery. These findings highlight the most critical threats to public sector construction projects in Quetta. Based on the results, the study provides actionable recommendations to strengthen risk mitigation and improve the successful delivery of public sector construction projects.

Abstract: This study carried out an extensive analysis of flow and mobile bed material characteristics of River Baro in Niger State, Nigeria. Fifty-two years of daily discharge and water level data were collected and analyzed using the annual maximum streamflow. In addition, the test of the sediment materials collected at different locations along the river reach were analyzed. The sediment transport parameters such as fall velocity, Shield parameter, D₅₀, D₉₀, sediment density, Reynolds number, Grain-related Chezy coefficient, bed form factor, and shear stress were determined. The results show a declining rate of maximum annual stream flow under the studied flow regime. The generalized Extreme Value probability distribution model yields the best extreme flood estimation for different return periods. The bank-full discharge increases with an increasing return period. The dynamics of the bed materials show that the Shield parameter responsible for the initiation of motion of bed materials is in the range of (0.028 ≤ θ ≤ 0.19). The mean grain diameter follows (0.2 ≤ D_m ≤ 5) millimeters. The values of the Reynolds number exceeded x × 10⁵, where x is a positive integer. Hence, the flow in the River Baro is Turbulent under the consideration of annual maximum streamflow. The best sediment transport capacity formula for River Baro is the Meyer-Peter and Muller (M-P-M) model. Hence, the mobile bed materials are characterized as being gravel. The highest flood magnitude is in the order of 11800m³/s with a flood level of about 10m corresponding to a 50-year return period. The sediment transport capacity based on the M-P-M model for annual maximum streamflow of 2, 5, 10, 25, and 50-year return periods are 2.3, 2.17, 2.2, 2.27, and 2.33m²/s respectively. Multiplying each value by the river's width and converting the seconds to years will yield annual sediment transport capacity in m³/yr.

Abstract: This study presents a global digital marketing framework, developed through a case study of a UK-based B2B industrial flooring company and the review of relevant literature, focusing on enhancing its Southeast Asian market presence. Using a mixed-method approach, it combines qualitative and quantitative analyses to examine digital marketing strategies, trends, and competitor practices. Findings highlight the effective use of social media by leading competitors and emphasize the importance of digital marketing in optimizing B2B operations and cross-cultural interactions. The study recommends some actionable insights for companies aiming to remain competitive and grow in the dynamic market.

Abstract: The geometric dimension error of plastic parts is one of the common defects in plastic injection molding (PIM). The main reason for this defect is the uniformity of the cooling of the molten plastic. The conformal cooling channel is widely used in injection mold processing due to its excellent cooling effect. However, complex injection molding processes can affect the quality of plastic parts. An optimization model for injection molding process parameters was proposed based on Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Seven important molding parameters were determined, including injection time, holding pressure, mold temperature, injection pressure, holding time, melt temperature, and mold opening time. The X, Y, and Z directions of plastic part warping deformation were selected as quality indicators. An L18 orthogonal design experiment was established based on the signal-to-noise ratio, calculated the grey relational coefficient and relational degree, and conducted the qualitative analysis to screen and evaluate the influencing factors with high relational degree of holding pressure, holding time, and melt temperature. A second-order polynomial regression model was established using RSM, and a quantitative analysis of warping deformation was conducted. The results showed that when the holding pressure was 110 MPa, the melt temperature was 250 °C, the mold opening time was 6 seconds, the X, Y, and Z direction warping deformations of the optimized product were 0.4354 mm, 0.1411 mm, and 0.2951 mm, respectively, which were reduced by 51.60%, 43.67%, and 45.02% compared to before optimization. The research results have verified the accuracy and reliability of the optimization of injection mold process parameters derived from qualitative and quantitative analysis. It is worth noting that this method has significant advantages in qualitatively identifying the primary and secondary relationships between different conditional parameters and quantitatively determining the optimal combination level for each parameter. This method will provide a framework for optimizing the design parameters of injection molding processes and improve the efficiency of identifying the optimal target combination.

Abstract: This paper studied the alternative method for determination of percentage of grafted content in the grafted low density polyethylene (LDPE) film with black seed oil (BSO). BSO was grafted onto LDPE by pre-irradiation grafting method and the grafted samples were evaluated using FTIR qualitative and quantitative analysis. The grafting yield was calculated quantitatively from absorbance peak of two difference peak (1464cm^-1 and 1746cm^-1). Control LDPE film shows no absorbance peak at wavenumber of 1746cm^-1 while, a peak appears for grafted film at the same wavenumber. Therefore, it is possible to consider the peak area in this wavenumber as the grafting extension of BSO in LDPE film. Meanwhile, concerning the infrared (IR) fingerprint of LDPE film, consistent peak characteristic bands of LDPE are also present for all grafted sample at 1464cm^-1. Thus, the grafting yield is computed by using these peaks. Then, further confirmation grafting of BSO onto LDPE film was supported by the XPS spectroscopy. The atomic composition of C decreased 13% after LDPE film was grafted with BSO. While, the O content increases from values of 6.9% to 19.2% after grafting reaction. The increment percentage of O1s after grafting reaction mainly caused by the incorporation of oxygen content of a new polar functional groups of BSO on the surface of LDPE films. These results are in good agreement with FTIR analysis.

Abstract: Smartphones are developing into all-purposes devices. In the present work, the employment/application of smartphones as medical devices in home care and point-of-care (POC) diagnostics are investigated in the analysis of Lateral Flow Assays (LFA). A smartphone-based LFA reader was developed for the quantitative analysis of D-Dimer – a biomarker indicating e.g. thrombotic event or danger of embolism.The proof-of-concept has been shown with multiple smartphones in establishing: (I) Optimal dimensions of the LFA cell of 72.11mm distance of smartphone to D-Dimer test leading to a coefficients of variances (CV) between 0.8% and 4.2%. (II) Inter-device investigations: CVs around 13.5%; a limit of detection (LOD) of 100ng/ml (DDU) D-Dimer. (III) Inter-smartphone investigations: CV about 16%, a limit of detection (LOD) at 66.4ng/ml (DDU). (IV) Calibrations: CV and LOD of three smartphones are comparable to the commercial available LFA reader. Further development to put the multiple smartphone-based LFA reader on the market.

Abstract: A fast non-destructive method of detection of wool content in blended fabrics was studied based on Near Infrared spectroscopy technology in order to avoid the time-consuming, tedious work and the destruction of samples in the traditional inspection. 621 wool/nylon, wool/polyester and wool/nylon/polyester blended fabrics were taken as research objects. To get the wool content, we established the wool near-infrared quantitative model by partial least squares (PLS) method after analyzing the color and composition of the samples. For verifying the validity and practicability of the model, 100 samples were chosen as an independent validation set. The variance analysis shows that there is no significant difference between Near Infrared fast detection method and national standard method (GB/T2910-2009),which indicates that this method is expected to be a means of fast non-destructive detection and will have extensive application future in the field of wool content detection.

Abstract: The Xishanyao reservoir in Niuquanhu area is a typical low permeability reservoir Diagenesis is very important for the physical property of reservoir. Through analyzed data of cast thin sections and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) data, analyzed the impact of main diagenesis on reservoir properties in Niuquanhu area. First, quantitative analyzed the various types of diagenesis on reservoir porosity contribution rate. Second, through restoring the original porosity, quantitative analyzed the pore evolution of reservoir caused by various types of diagenesis. Realized the quantitative analysis of porosity of each diagenesis stage. The quantitative calculation results agree well with the experimental analysis results, the error is 1.09%~1.51%, which showed the rationality of research method and the research results have certain reliability. The study of diagenesis has important significance for fine evaluation and favorable area prediction of Niuquanhu area reservoir.

Abstract: Tou price is based on the price as the guidance, guiding power users according to their own electricity utilization way of flexibility and interest adjustment behavior to realize the purpose of peak peel and improve the load rate. This paper is on the basis of considering the user satisfaction, using plastic load capacity and power generation side coal saving benefit after two measures of implementing peak valley price demand response potential quantitative analysis, and feasibility of implementing peak valley price for a specific region. At last, a big industrial user in a certain area as an example for analysis, the result shows that the implementation of peak valley price can bring potential benefits, and provide a guide that the feasibility of implementing peak valley price in the region.

Abstract: Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) has been widely used in the modified asphalt engineering around the world due to its excellent contribution to both high and low temperature performance of asphalt. The content of SBS plays a critical role in the performance of modified asphalt. Therefore, an accurate and effective method to quantify the SBS content in modified asphalt was proposed based on the Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy method. Two Infrared (IR) indices were provided to quantify the content of SBS. In addition, the practicability and accuracy of this method was verified by testing the prepared sample in laboratory.